Southern Comfort USA

12 days
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Small Group Tour
Take a journey into the soul of the USA on this 12-day tour of the country’s Deep South. The air from Atlanta to Memphis is heavy with humidity and history, filled with the sound of country twang and trap music, and rich with the smoke from the local barbecue joints that seem to lie around every corner. From the creaking boards of the honky-tonk music joints ...

Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Embark on a road trip across the most soulful and hospitable part of the USA, from the historic settlements to the musical centres.
    • Take a sobering look at the history of slavery and segregation in the South and celebrate the bravery and humanity of heroes like Rosa Parks.
    • From biscuits to barbecue, savour Southern cuisine in all its glory. Make sure you’ve got a bib handy, as it tends to get messy.
    • Tap your toes and shake the floorboards during a line dancing lesson, then get your honky-tonk on with locals in Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon.
    • Lively New Orleans is a fitting place to end your trip. Discover French, Creole, Spanish and North American influences in the architecture, food and music of the 'Big Easy'.

What's this trip about?

    Take a journey into the soul of the USA on this 12-day tour of the country’s Deep South. The air from Atlanta to Memphis is heavy with humidity and history, filled with the sound of country twang and trap music, and rich with the smoke from the local barbecue joints that seem to lie around every corner. From the creaking boards of the honky-tonk music joints in Nashville, to the elegant Victorian homes that line Rainbow Row in Savannah and the vibrant melting pot that is New Orleans, this tour will show you the best of the bold, brash, and boisterous Southern USA.

Details

Itinerary focusOff the Beaten Path
Group sizeIntimate group - max of 12 people
Age range15 years and up
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityAtlanta
End CityNew Orleans

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • High Adventure
  • Local Immersion & Homestays

Destinations

  • North America
  • United States

Attractions

  • Charleston
  • Memphis
  • Nashville
  • New Orleans

Activities

  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing

Trip includes

    • Savannah - Leader led historical walking tour
    • Charleston - Boone Hall Plantation
    • Nashville - Wildhorse Saloon & line dancing
    • Memphis - Sun Studio
    • Memphis - National Civil Rights Museum
    • New Orleans - Crawfish Boil

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Atlanta

Hey y’all! Welcome to Atlanta, Georgia! An important supply route during the Civil War, the spiritual centre of the civil rights movement in the 1960s and the hometown of some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, Atlanta is the perfect introduction to the fascinating Southern ...

Day 2 Savannah

Mornin' sunshine! Hit the road bright and early and make the 5-hour journey to Savannah. In 1946, Lady Astor referred to Savannah as 'a beautiful lady with a dirty face', in reference to the crumbling, faded majesty of the city's 18th- and 19th-century mansions. Due t...

Day 3 Charleston

Leave Savannah in the rear-view mirror and drive two hours to Charleston. On arrival take a brief orientation walk to get your bearings, then perhaps set out and explore the cobblestone streets that hold a complicated and often violent history. These streets were made...

Day 4 Charleston

Today is as clear as a Georgia sky in the summer time, so set out whenever you like and explore at your own pace. There are plenty of optional activities on offer, so take your pick and dive on in. When exploring Charleston, the history of the city cannot be ignored. ...

Day 5 Asheville

Head into the Blue Ridge Mountains today with a 5-hour drive to charming Asheville. Home to the country’s best breweries and some of North Carolina’s finest barbecue, Asheville also boasts an incredible folk music scene. On arrival you’ll be given an orientation tour ...

Day 6 Nashville

Make the scenic drive to Nashville, arriving in the country music capital after 4–5 hours. On arrival you’ll be introduced to this famous country music town with an orientation tour. Get your bearings and then enjoy a free day to explore. When the sun goes down, head ...

Day 7 Nashville

Howdy! Start your day with a visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, which contains the golden Cadillac that once belonged to Elvis. The rest of the day is all yours. Maybe check out Music Row, an area ablaze with neon signs, where more than 50 record studios and around...

Day 8 Memphis

Hit the road again for the 4-hour drive to Memphis, Tennessee. Time depending, the first stop on arrival will be Sun Studio, the self-identified 'Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll'. It's a bold claim, but when artists like BB King, Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf, Elvis Presley a...

Day 9 Memphis

Visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel – where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated – for a dose of history that is both confronting and inspirational. Following that sobering look at the recent past, you can choose whether to visit Grac...

Day 10 Vicksburg

Travel along the famous Highway 61 to Vicksburg, Mississippi (around 4–5 hours). Stop at Clarksdale en route, where you have the option of seeing Blues Alley, Robert Johnson's Crossroads and the Delta Blues Museum. Other possible stops, depending on group's interests,...

Day 11 New Orleans

Make tracks for the 'Big Easy', a 4- or 5-hour drive that might be broken up with a swamp or plantation tour along the way, time depending. After checking in to your hotel in New Orleans' French Quarter, use your free time getting to know the eclectic city. With a mix...

Day 12 New Orleans

Grab one last biscuit with gravy, because your Southern Comfort adventure comes to an end today after breakfast. You're free to depart at any time following check out, but why not spend a few days exploring this riotous city? We can help you with booking more accommod...

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,082
Price per day$257
Last Updated: 12/3/2021

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel

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The Intrepid Travel Experience

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.

Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.

Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.

Why Intrepid?

  •   Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
  •   Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
  •   Local leaders - authentic perspectives
  •   Local transport - get close and personal
  •   Local accommodation - experience real living
  •   Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions 

History

Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.

Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.

Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.

 

Values

On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:

  • Integrity – Doing the right thing
  • Responsible – Think global, act local
  • Growth – Stakeholders in our own success
  • Innovation – Thriving on new ideas and embracing change
  • Fun – It’s engrained into who we are and what we do
  • Passion – We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer

 

Why we love this operator
They’re very committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and contribute to important initiatives like climate action.
What they’re known for
Small group tours for active and adventurous travelers at a range of different price points and service levels.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Hotel (11 nights),

Transportation & Flights

Private vehicle,

Transportation & flights

Private vehicle
Guides
All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip. NORTH AMERICAN LEADERS Our leaders in the US and Canada are also responsible for driving the van and navigating across the country. The allowable driving times for drivers is strictly controlled in North America. This ensures our drivers are well rested and are not over-tired from too many hours on the roads. It's strictly forbidden for non-qualified rangers to present any information about some National Parks in North America, therefore we adopt a system (as requested by the park rangers) where our leader will encourage travellers to visit the information centres in the National Parks for details about the site.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory on all our trips for those travelling internationally. We require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. If you are travelling within your home country or region please confirm before travel that you are entitled to access the public medical system easily should an accident occur. We strongly recommend all travellers have a policy that also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage or personal effects. For international trips, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24-hour emergency contact number has been sighted by your leader. If you have credit card insurance your group leader will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number, and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and your credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. Travellers who reside within the European Union or Switzerland receive basic international health insurance, so travel insurance is not mandatory under European Union Law. However, as this does not cover situations such as emergency rescues, private health care, or repatriation to their home country, comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended. European Union or Swiss travellers who decline travel insurance when travelling outside of their home region must sign a Travel Insurance Waiver Form at the Group Meeting. For assistance with travel insurance or other services, please visit the link below: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/booking-resources/our-services
Visa requirements
PASSPORT You will need a valid passport to travel internationally. As a general rule, most countries require that your passport has a minimum of 6 months validity remaining. Your passport details are required to complete your booking. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets exactly and contact us immediately if there are any errors. We recommend taking copies of the main passport pages and other important documents with you as well as leave copies at home with family or friends. VISAS Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. Entry requirements can change at any time. It is important that you check your government's foreign travel advisories along with the consular website of the country or countries you are travelling to for the most up to date information specific to your nationality and circumstances. Please be aware that not all visa information found online from other sources may be valid while COVID-19 restrictions are in place. Visas can take several weeks to process, so make sure you research the requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for obtaining any necessary documents as well as the application and processing time. Your booking consultant can advise on a visa processing service or you can apply yourself directly through a consulate. COVID-19 Entry and Exit Requirements Below you will find general visa advice about the destinations on your trip. Due to constantly evolving COVID-19 requirements and restrictions, please refer to your government's foreign travel advice for the most up to date information.You may also refer to our travel alert page for more info https://www.intrepidtravel.com/en/travel-alerts Make sure you are familiar with the current border measures and entry requirements as these are quite complex and changing frequently without notice. Please also ensure you have a travel insurance policy that covers your travels as well as medical or COVID-19 related expenses within the country. RETURN TRAVEL Please ensure you stay up to date with any current testing or quarantine requirements for returning to your home country or transiting through other destinations after the completion of your tour. We are able to help facilitate taking a COVID-19 test while on trip. Please ensure you have funds available to cover the cost of this test which will be payable directly to the testing site. Your Intrepid Tour Leader will provide more details at the group meeting as well as assist with booking appointments for all travellers who need to be tested. USA ENTRY REQUIREMENTS The US has strict entry requirements. If you're visiting for less than 90 days, you may be eligible to: • apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and then • enter under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Otherwise, you'll need to get a visitor visa before you travel. Apply for an ESTA no later than 72 HOURS before departing for the US. We recommend 2 weeks prior to travel. Real-time approvals are no longer available and arriving at the airport without a previously approved ESTA will likely result in being denied boarding. To apply for an ESTA you will need your passport details and your address in the US (you can use the starting point accommodation address). If there is any discrepancy between the name on your ESTA, your passport, your tickets and even your frequent flyer membership, you may be detained at Immigration and subject to a secondary inspection which could take a few hours. If you have recently changed your name, please check that your details have been updated everywhere. Visa and other entry and exit conditions can change at short notice, including currency, customs and quarantine rules. Contact an embassy or consulate of the United States for the latest details. If you are from a country eligible for the visa waiver program but are a dual citizen of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan, or if you have travelled to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan or Yemen since 1 March 2011, you will no longer be eligible for the visa waiver program and will instead need to apply for a non-immigrant visa. Please see the Department of State website for more information: http://travel.state.gov//content/travel/en.html
Health & Safety
Most national governments provide regularly updated foreign travel advice on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all destinations and activities on your trip. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trips here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/travel-alerts We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, flight tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. Your leader will accompany you on all included activities, however, during your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests or relax and take it easy. While your leader will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your Leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Intrepid's operational safety policies can be viewed on our website at the link below. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how safety is being managed on our trips. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/safety-guidelines PETTY THEFT AND PERSONAL SAFETY While travelling there is always the risk of pick-pocketing and petty theft, particularly in the more touristy cities. We recommend that you exercise caution when walking alone at night and encourage you to walk together and only on main, well-lit thoroughfares. Be particularly vigilant on public transport. Simple measures like carrying your day pack on your front, not hanging your bag over the back of your chair or on the floor and wearing a money belt will reduce any chance that your valuables should go missing. BEARS Whilst travelling throughout North America it's not uncommon to encounter bears within campsites and national parks. Your leader has been specifically trained for these situations and, if camping, will inform the group on how to 'bear proof' the camp in the evenings or when the site is unattended. There's absolutely no reason to be alarmed by this possibility as it is extremely rare for bears to approach humans.
Age Requirements
15 years and up
Additional Information
Finish point The Troubadour Hotel 1111 Gravier St, New Orleans. New Orleans 70112 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Phone: +1 5045185800
Trip ID
intrepid-SSKE

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